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KRL go top after innings win

Round-up of the second day of the ninth round of Division Two of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy

Khan Research Laboratories moved to the top of the table after they beat Quetta by an innings and 171 runs in less than two days at the Khan Research Laboratory Ground in Rawalpindi. Quetta's miserable season continued, as they followed up their total of 45 in the first innings with 106 in the second. KRL seamers Yasir Arafat and Mohammad Irfan once again did the early damage as Quetta tried to recover from a 277-run first innings deficit. Arafat finished with 5 for 37 in the second innings and nine wickets in the match. Captain Mohammad Wasim had built on the advantage KRL had from the first day, getting to 152 on Monday and helping his team reach a total of 322 for 7 declared. With a game in hand, KRL are almost sure to make the finals. Abbottabad can only equal them on points if they beat Karachi Whites.
Double-centuries by Khalid Latif and Asif Zakir put Karachi Whites in control of their match against Abbottabad at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium. Karachi scored 583 for 3 declared in their first innings and had already reduced the hosts to 60 for 4 by the end of the second day thanks to two strikes from Mohammad Sami, the fast bowler who has played 35 Tests for Pakistan. Khalid had retired hurt when on nought on the first day, and only returned towards the end of the day. On Monday, he hit 26 fours and four sixes to reach 200 not out in just 150 balls. Zakir, who was 106 not out overnight, carried on to score 219. Karachi are still in with a chance of claiming the second slot in the finals.
After leading the pack for much of the season, State Bank of Pakistan could see their berth in the finals slip away after they were reduced to 199 for 5 by Pakistan Television at the Marghzar Cricket Ground in Islamabad. Wicketkeeper Gulraiz Sadaf was SBP's only half-centurion as Pakistan Television seamers Saad Altaf and Mohammad Ali took two wickets each. Pakistan Television weren't able to add much to their overnight score of 372 for 6 and were all out for 426, which means SBP still need another 78 runs to avoid the follow-on. With Karachi Whites closing in on their points tally, a loss may cost SBP a place in the finals.
Peshawar have been set 175 to win by Lahore Ravi in a low-scoring match at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. The hosts got themselves back in to the match by bowling Peshawar out for 168, after they had been knocked over for 193 on the first day. But they could only manage 149 in their second innings after collapsing from 119 for 2. Openers Junaid Jan and Abid Ali gave Lahore Ravi a solid start with their contributions of 55 and 43 respectively, but the middle-order could not deal with Riaz Afridi's seamers and Akbar Badshah's offspinners. Riaz took a five-for, which gave him nine wickets for the match and took him to the top of the season's wicket-takers chart. Seamers Abdul Ghaffar and Asif Raza took four wickets each for Lahore Ravi as none of Peshawar's batsmen got a half-century in their innings.
A century by Usman Salahuddin and a half-century by legspinner Saad Nasim at No.8 helped Lahore Shalimar recover and then move into a position of strength against Hyderabad at the Lahore City Cricket Association Ground. The hosts were at 190 for 6 at the start of the second day, but Salahuddin's 134 and Nasim's 75 took them to 355 in their first innings. Salahuddin is now the leading run-getter in Division Two, this season. Lahore Shalimar reduced Hyderabad to 100 for 4 by the end of the second day, with seamers Emmad Ali and Hasan Dar taking two wickets apiece.